


Baking with Ben

by kittykat128



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Actress Rey, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baking, F/M, Fluff, Married Life, Opens with a nightmare, Pregnancy, Professional Baker Ben, Sexual innuendos, baking show, but after that it's all cuteness, pregnancy reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27287659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittykat128/pseuds/kittykat128
Summary: Ben Solo hosts a baking show. Rey is guest starring. He's nervous.Little does he know, she has something up her sleeve (or more like in the cake).
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 115





	Baking with Ben

**Author's Note:**

  * For [faitaccompli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faitaccompli/gifts).



> I don't make the rules, when [willow](https://twitter.com/urareylowillow) shares gorgeous artwork by [auruobis](https://twitter.com/aurorbis/status/1320733382762926080), I write a fic inspired by it. 
> 
> I am but your humbled servant.

_This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real._

No matter how many times Ben tells himself that, it doesn’t diminish the fear he feels coursing through his veins. He’s surprised his heart hasn’t burst out of his chest yet, and no matter how much air he breathes into his lungs, it never feels like enough.

He doesn’t remember what he was doing before. All he knows is that he’s in the studio where he tapes his television show “Baking with Ben”, and the building’s on fire. He struggles towards the exit, the flames closing in on him—

“Ben!” A shout cuts through the noise of cracking plastic and electrical sparks. It’s the voice he would recognize in any lifetime, do anything for.

Ben turns around.

Rey stands in the kitchen set, trapped by the fire. Against all logic, the cameras are still working and he can see her terrified face broadcasted in the dozen monitors throughout the large room.

_Oh, God._

Ben runs, ignoring the flames that burn at his feet and arms. He can’t feel the pain anyway, his existence centered around the woman several yards in front of him.

A groan in the ceiling causes them both to look up. One of the metal supports is weakening, its bolts melting due to the heat. They look back at each other as they come to terms with the fact that Ben won’t be able to make it.

That doesn’t stop him from trying.

“Rey!” Ben cries out, but his voice doesn’t escape his throat. The last thing he sees is her tear-stained face and outstretched hand before the beam falls and his vision is overtaken by black.

...

Ben jumps awake, sweaty and out of breath. It takes a few seconds to reorient himself, the fear dissipating as the cool relief of reality washes over him in waves. It’s dawn, the rising sun filling their bedroom with yellow light. The sound of the sprinkler system turning on and watering their backyard gives his heart a rhythm to sync to. When he’s recovered, he checks the clock on his night night. They have to leave soon.

Ben turns around and loses the breath he just gained back.

Rey sleeps, unbothered by her husband’s night terror. Her hair is splayed across the pillow, arms beside her head as she lays on her stomach. She’s a kicker, so Ben’s trained to sleep as far away as possible in their king sized bed. But sometimes, if he wakes up early, he can cuddle and not worry about being elbowed in the face. Today is one of those days. 

Ben slides over, half of his body on top as he wraps his arms around her. He presses dozens of kisses into her hair, each one making the nightmare harder and harder to recall. Rey shifts underneath him, a questioning moan humming in her throat.

“Morning, dear.” Ben whispers.

“Why are you on top of me?” She grumbles, shifting her position so that they’re now spooning. 

“I had a nightmare, involving you.” He kisses more of her. The images fade away.

“Aw,” Rey comforts, smoothing her hand along his forearm. “I’m here, baby.” He grips her waist tighter.

“I know.”

“You wanna tell me about it?”

We were in my studio and the building was on fire.” Ben doesn’t say more, not wanting to tempt fate by uttering his dream out loud.

Rey chuckles. “I think someone is nervous about today.”

“What?”

Rey turns around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You don’t like having me in your space.” She teases.

“Of course I do.” Ben protests, “I just… the kitchen is where I feel the most confident, and when you’re there I get so flustered I can’t think straight.”

“Even though we’ve been married for five years?” Rey arches her eyebrow.

“Yes, even more so.”

Rey kisses him before getting out of bed. “Well, you’re gonna have to get over yourself, Chef Solo, because Chef Niima is gonna kick your ass.”

“It’s not a competition show.” Ben explains, watching as she makes her way around their bed towards the bathroom.

“We’ll see.” Rey winks, shutting the door behind her.

Ben lays back in bed, bracing himself for the day ahead.

...

Ben often has celebrities on his show. Even though they are his least favorite episodes to shoot, Ben pushes through, flashing the crooked smiles his producers say make him look charming and cracking the dry jokes that have caused him to go viral on Twitter multiple times. But this time the celebrity is _his wife_ , and he has no idea how he’s going to make it through.

Rey is supposed to promote her movie that will be premiering in the fall, but Ben knows that the episode will be much more about their relationship dynamic. She’s often transparent in interviews about their marriage, and his agent warned him that more people than usual would tune in just to see them together. He groaned so loud over the phone, she asked if he stubbed his toe. 

The truth is, Ben doesn’t like the attention. He knows that contradicts with having his own cooking show, but it was never about the fame for him. He just loves food, and by some miracle the universe lets him share his passion with millions of people every week.

As he drives them to the studio, Rey rolls her window down and puts the music on blast so she can sing along and not have her voice drown out the original vocals. When they first started dating it was Ben’s least favorite quirk of hers, but now he volunteers to drive with her whenever he can. As he pulls into the parking lot, he can’t help but smile as she belts out the chorus of an Ariana Grande song.

“Your singing has really improved since you started vocal training.” Ben remarks as he turns the car off.

“Really?” Rey asks excitedly.

“Yeah.”

“I wanna sing to our future kids, and I don’t want my voice to give them bad dreams.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Rey,” Ben reaches over and strokes the side of her head. She leans into it. “Your voice is beautiful.”

“Thanks, honey.”

They kiss before exiting the car and separating to go to their trailers in order to get ready for the shoot.

...

When Ben arrives on set, he goes through his usual routine: check the oven, check the fridge, check the cake the crew made the night before. He’s more vigilant than usual, still shaken by the nightmare, but eventually, his nerves calm down and he begins feels like he can actually do this, when suddenly a pair of small arms wrap themselves around his torso from behind.

“Don’t be nervous, Ben.” She murmurs so low only he can hear. “Just pretend the cameras aren’t there.”

He scoffs. “It’s not the cameras I’m afraid of.” He turns around and takes in his wife, styled in a sundress and the show’s personalized apron tied over it. She tied her bangs back, his favorite hair style.

“What?” Rey asks, seeing the way that his eyes darkened and feeling his hands grab onto her waist.

“I think I just realized why I don’t like having you in the kitchen,” He whispers into her ear. _“You’re too distracting.”_

Rey giggles, pulling out of his grasp. “Sorry, I guess you’ll just have to deal.”

“Are we ready, guys?” The director asks, not even trying to hide his amusement

“Yep.” Ben clears his throat and runs his hands through his hair as the clapper operator does her job. Rey combs a hand through as well, standing on her tip-toes so she could reach. He swats her hand away, suppressing his smile.

“Okay, ready, set, and… action!” The text on the teleprompter starts scrolling:

“Hello, and welcome back to Baking with Ben. Today we have a very special guest, actress Rey Niima.”

“Who is also your wife.” Rey touches his arm, smiling cheekily at him.

“Yes, my beautiful wife is here to promote her new movie _The Dollhouse’s Reckoning_ , which comes out in theaters this Halloween, so be sure to check it out. It’s fun for the whole family—”

“Bring your kids, they’ll love it!” Rey squeezes his arm, causing him to look down at her and ask her what she’s doing. She already knows what he’s thinking from his facial expression and communicates in like back. 

_I don’t know what you’re talking about._

“Usually we would make something that would be in theme with the movie, but today, we’re gonna make something that’s important to us.” Ben continues, shaking off Rey’s odd behavior, chalking it up to his brain reading too much into things. “The first thing I ever baked for Rey was a yellow cake with vanilla buttercream frosting at the end of our second date, so we’re gonna make it together this time.”

“As I’m sure you guys are well aware, Ben can be a little… particular when it comes to baking, so I’m glad we can share this recipe with you, _and_ force Ben to be on his best behavior.” Rey speaks to the camera as if she’s talking with an old friend.

_She’s a natural at this._

“First, we start with the dry ingredients.” Ben gestures to the bowls already laid out, filled with the measured out foodstuff. 

Over the next hour and a half, Ben and Rey make their cake. Rey _was_ right, it turns out. Once Ben got over himself and focused on the baking, it felt as natural as breathing. Even better, because he was doing it with the love of his life. He knows that he’s been smiling more and not talking as much as he usually does. If he’s being honest, he totally forgot they were being filmed and watched by dozens of production staff. It was just her.

He’s never seen Rey cook or bake before, always insisting on doing it for her. But now that they’ve done it together, he never wants to do it alone again. Arguing with her over what constituted as “too much” vanilla extract, keeping an eye on the batter to make sure she didn’t try to lick it as it was mixing, he’s never taken this much pleasure in the process of making. It was always about the product and whether others enjoyed it or not. Rey is showing him that creation can be just as fun.

“When your oven is heated, and you got the cake ready in the pan, you can put it in. Let it bake for thirty to forty-five minutes, depending on your oven.” Ben explains as he inserts the cake into the oven on the other side of the kitchen.

“And while your bun is cooking, you can work on the frosting! My favorite part.” Rey greedily drags the mixer towards her side of the counter, seemingly taking control of this part of the recipe.

“If she had it her way, there would _be_ no cake, only frosting.” Ben says, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

“That’s true.” Rey admits, “I do love my cream.”

Ben’s eyes widen, staring at her to make sure he heard her correctly. From the smirk on her face, he can tell she knew exactly what she was saying.

“Uh huh.” Ben stutters out, hoping the flush on his face isn’t obvious. “Well, anyway, the frosting.”

This time it goes faster. They’ve developed a rhythm, with Rey pouring in the ingredients, and Ben monitoring the mixer. Once everything is in the bowl, he almost has to physically constrain her from eating all the frosting. He kisses the top of her head absentmindedly, and all the fight leaves her body at the loving gesture.

“Now that the frosting is done, and packed into the pipe, we’re gonna start frosting,” Ben goes to the second oven and takes out an already made cake. “Instead of waiting for the cake that we made to finishing baking, we’re gonna frost this one that my crew made yesterday.”

“When Ben made this for me the first time, he just slathered on the frosting, insisting that he didn’t see the point in decorating cakes when they’re just gonna be eaten, but this time, the cake will be pretty.” Rey takes up at the pipe and twists the top, preparing to get to work.

“Go crazy, my dear.” Ben gestures for her to start. She makes large swirls on the rounded edge of the cake and the bottom, drawing a large spiral on the top. After her arms tire, Ben takes over, piping more spirals along the side.When they’re finished, it looks like a small, rounded cloud.

“Normal people would probably decorate the cake with fruit or something, but Rey has a strong aversion to combining healthy food with cake so…” Ben crosses his arms, looking down at her.

“I wanted to keep it accurate.” Rey explains. She turns to the camera. “Feel free to add whatever healthy garbage you want to make yourself feel better about eating refined sugar.”

“Let’s try it.” Ben says louder than necessary, taking out some cutlery and two plates. He cuts two slices, handing one to his wife. Her hands are shaking as she takes it. He looks up and sees that she won’t stop smiling, even as she chews the smallest piece of cake he’s ever seen her eat.

“Mmm. Just like I remembered.” She says, quickly stuffing another small bite into her mouth.

“You okay?” Ben asks in a low voice, hoping it won’t be picked up by the microphones.

“Mmhm.” 

“You sure?” She glances back at the cake, and he follows her gaze. “What’s that?”

For the first time, Ben notices a small, black, plastic baggie in the center of the cake, just peeking out from the hole the two slices made. He puts down his plate and carefully pulls it out, brushing the crumbs off.

“Rey…” Ben warns. He knows she pulls pranks on her friends every now and then, but he never thought she would do one to him. On _his_ show.

“Just open it.” Rey has put down her plate as well and wrings her hand in front of her chest. Ben doesn’t question her further before ripping it open and shaking the contents into his hand.

A pair of crocheted, lilac, baby booties.

He’s speechless, just staring at the shoes with an open mouth. Rey’s hand on his arm snaps him out of it.

“You’re pregnant?” His voice comes out distorted, way to high, but he can’t help it, the potential of what’s in his hand too good to be true.

Rey nods. Before he even comprehends what he’s doing, he’s picking her up and spinning her around. All he hears is her laughter next to his ear.

When he sets her down, he finally acknowledges the clapping. He looks around and sees his crew, smiling with the largest shit-eating grins he’s ever seen.

“Did you guys know?” Ben asks.

“We put the bag in the cake.” The director explains. “It was all Rey’s idea, though.” Ben turns back to her.

“How long have you known?” He tries to find a bump underneath her clothes. Rey subconsciously lays a hand over her abdomen.

“A couple weeks.”

“A couple weeks?!” Ben looks up shocked. How could he not know? He thinks back to everything they did, trying to remember if he saw her drinking or throwing up in the morning.

“I wanted to make sure.” Rey explains. “And besides, how could I say no to upstaging you on your own show?”

Ben sighs, rubbing a hand over his face as he realizes that this whole episode was a set-up. “Wow. You really got me.”

“ _We_ really got you.” Rey emphasizes. Ben reaches out and presses a hand over hers. They stay like that for a moment before the director clears his throat. They both turn to face the camera, arms wrapped around each other.

“Um, so this episode didn’t really go according to plan. At least for me.” Ben ad-libs, mind still reeling.

“I hope you guys at home enjoyed seeing us bake together. Who knows, we might make this a regular thing.” Rey looks up at him, asking with her eyes if that would be okay.

“Yeah, that would be nice.” Ben hears himself saying. He’ll sort it out with his producers later. He looks away from Rey back at the camera. “So have fun baking, and I’ll see you next time.”

“Bye!” Rey waves at the camera until the director yells cut.

Then it’s all lips and teeth, Ben pulling her face to his. They make out in front of everyone, too excited to care.

“I love you.” Rey says when they finally break apart to breath.

Ben chuckles. “I love you, too.” He puts his hand over her abdomen. “And you.”

He goes back to kissing his wife on the set of his baking show, next to the first cake they made together. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/kitty_kat128)


End file.
